Lubricating systems are frequently used in vehicles, particularly in construction machinery such as excavators or the like, as well as in stationary systems, in order to adequately supply lubricant to a plurality of lubricating points, e.g., bearings. DE 34 15 076 C1 discloses a central lubricating device that can also be used in vehicles. In this publication, it is proposed to use a central lubrication piston pump as well as several distributors as lubricant feed device. Lubricant lines extend from these distributors to the individual lubricating points to be supplied with lubricant.
In construction machines, the lubricant lines, i.e., the individual lines extending from a feed device to a lubricating point, are frequently severed. This often occurs in the region of the shovel or in the region of other tools of construction machines that are subjected to significant mechanical loads. In such instances, the concerned lubricating points are no longer lubricated such that, e.g., very costly bearing damage can occur.
The present invention, in contrast, is based on the objective of making available a lubricating system of the initially cited type that is suitable, in particular, for use in vehicles and makes it possible to easily and effectively monitor the severance of such a line.